Crystal Clear
by Belle de Luna
Summary: Sesshoumaru and the gang are a band of powerful warriors and they are called on by a princess to help with an important mission, but everyone seems to be out to get them and what so interesting about the princess that has Sesshoumaru so curious. A/U S/OC
1. Recruiting

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my original characters.

11 Changes in POV

22 Time lapse

Title: Crystal Clear.

Chapter 1: Recruiting

Sesshoumaru knocked him back once again and suppressed a smirk of victory, if he knew his half brother at all, this spare was far from over. Inuyasha got to his feet and staggered from the dizzying rush of blood to his head, shaking it until his eyes focused, he then charged at his sparing partner, intent on serving him some pain.

"Give it up mate; you know you can't win against him!"

Inuyasha stopped and turned towards the doorway and began telling them to shove it when he was suddenly sliding, face down, towards them. He slid to a halt at the feet of two women, one tall and lean with brown hair and brown eyes, the other slightly shorter with black hair and bright blue eyes.

The blue-eyed woman stifled a giggle, knelt down next to her mate, and patted his head. "See?"

He looked up at her and frowned. "That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't distracted me! And what do you mean I can't win against him?! Your suppose to be MY mate, and support ME!"

She helped him up, dusted him off, and tried not to bruise his pride too badly. "I am YOUR mate, and I do support you, but you have never won against him and he's still holding back. Am I right?" Kagome looked past him, directing her question at Sesshoumaru.

He brushed past them as he nodded, not really wanting to hear them fight. It wasn't the fight that bothered him, it was the making up that bothered him; they had no problem displaying affection in public. Sango soon followed suit, knowing what was coming, as they left the dojo Miroku came jogging towards them. "Lord Inutaisho wants to see us. All of us." Sango reentered the dojo for a minute then exited once more with Inuyasha and Kagome in tow.

"What does he want?" Inuyasha asked, not really wanting to see his father at the moment, they had a fight almost a week ago and had yet to resolve it. "A small kingdom in the south is calling for warriors for some special mission. He didn't exactly elaborate."

…

"This kingdom is more important then any of you know, it is home to a very powerful force, possibly more powerful than the Shikon no Tama and no one knows the range of its power because it has been well hidden. King Takahiro has been at war with another kingdom to the east for a little over six months now." Inutaisho sat at his desk as his most powerful warriors, two of them being his sons, stood before him.

"Why are they at war? What started it?" Sango couldn't but ask because generally the south was very peaceful. Every war that waged on their land had been void of their soldiers; it was just a battle that had crossed the border. They would always be on the side of peace when the council came to order, it was in their nature, they were peacemakers.

"Because King Takahiro killed their prince." they all took in this new information, no longer trusting the King. "The reasoning was that he was betrothed to one of their princess', but only to get information for his father, on the wedding day his true identity and intentions were revealed, thus sentencing him to death." He looked over the grim faces of his warriors, noting that Sesshoumaru had yet to look remotely interested in anything he said.

"So what is the mission? Do we need to intercept and put an end to it?" Which was one of Sango and Miroku's specialties; they were often resolving issues that would bring battles and wars.

"I do not know all I know is that they are called for the best of the best, and that is you. So go to them and be victorious in whatever they have you do." They bowed one by one out of the room, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his father and their silence.

"I am not sure what exactly is going on in that kingdom, but I know its something ominous. They have always been so good to us; it would be an awful loss of an ally if this war goes badly for them." Sesshoumaru nodded, understanding his meaning, that failure was not an option. He stiffly bowed and left the room in a rustler of silk and armor.

"That boy needs to find a mate."

22

The group set up camp for the night, having already traveled two days straight, they were approaching the border. As Inuyasha hunted for food Kagome and Sango built a fire and rolled out pallets for everyone to sleep on, Sesshoumaru refused one, saying that he would not be sleeping tonight.

"If your not gonna sleep then do us all a favor and make sure nothing ambushes us?" Inuyasha grunted as he placed two small hares on a spit over the fire. He had skinned and washed them already, trying to get on Kagome's good side by not skinning them in front of her.

Sesshoumaru nodded and sat down at the base of a large tree, leaning his head back; he closed his eyes and meditated for a while. Ever since he came of mating age, almost three hundred years ago, his father had been pushing princess after princess onto him, each one more vapid then the last. He couldn't stand it any more, so he told his father that he would find a mate on his own. However, he could see that his father was getting impatient with him for he had yet to take interest in any woman, youkai or otherwise.

The problem was they were all the same, the same powder caked faces, the same overly perfumed necks, and the same empty heads. He wanted to be able to have an intelligent conversation with his mate, maybe that was asking too much from a demoness nowadays. He had tried to discuss politics with the last princess his father brought to him, but she just stared at him with a vacant expression. He was quickly learning that woman no longer worried about politics and war treaties and things not concerning themselves, with the exception of a handful of females.

Golden eyes opened and locked onto Inuyasha and Kagome, he watched as they whispered to each other, smiling and laughing every so often, and something sparked in him. He never thought it would happen but it did, though he would never admit it.

He was jealous of Inuyasha.

He sneer at the thought pushing it back and away from his conscious mind, standing from his resting place, he turned and stalked into the forest that surrounded them. He walked for a little over two hours, until he noticed the trees to his left started to clear away into a valley.

He stepped out past the tree line and scanned the valley; it was pitch black and even with his superior sight he couldn't see much. He turned to head back to camp when the wind suddenly changed direction and the smell of death hit him full force. Sesshoumaru took a slight step back, trying to block out the smell so it wouldn't affect him, it was a bit difficult for his nose was much stronger than most youkai's.

As he blocked out the stench he took notice of the southern flags that still waved in various places in the valley.

They were too late.

…

"Did you smell it too?" Inuyasha stood with his sword at the ready as Sesshoumaru entered the clearing; nodding to his brother, he turned and gestured for them to follow. Soon the camp was packed and they were heading towards the valley.

They arrived just as the sun peered over the treetops, showering the bloody vale with light. Covering there noses they made there way through the carnage and destruction, hoping for some shred of life. They found none.

As they neared the middle of the valley, Kagome noticed people were digging holes on the other side. As they walked, a castle came into view from behind a wall of great oaks, and people digging graves and placing the dead in them. This was no longer just a valley it was a graveyard.

The group moved toward the diggers, hoping to get some answer for the blood bath that obviously took place. Sesshoumaru took the lead, coming to a stop in front of them. The servants, only definable because of their garments, stared at the band of newcomers. One tall older male jogged over to a female that was digging by herself near the wall of oaks, she was more elegantly dressed, even covered in dirt, her rank was clear.

The man spoke to her and pointed to Sesshoumaru; she set down her shovel and followed the tall older man towards them.

"So these are the warriors I sent for?" She spoke as she wiped dirt from her hands onto her dress, she was young, and petite, looking like she was in the dead center of adolescence, but her eyes were guarded and wise.

"I am Sesshoumaru, Son of Inutaisho, he offers you his condolences and his best men" Sango cleared her throat loudly. "And women." The girl looked them over warily and tilted her head towards the castle, she lead the gang up to the castle.

11

She lead us into a great hall, sparse of any decorations or garlands, this was no time for parties and banquets. "If you will wait here a moment I will freshen up and formally introduce myself and explain why you are here. My servants will attend you, should you need anything." She bowed and climbed up a stairwell to the far left.

I looked around as I thought over the girl, she was well versed, obviously well schooled, yet she seemed so young. I shook my head of such thoughts, I was only here for the mission, and I needed to keep my head clear. I dismissed the hall quickly, not caring what their décor was like, until something caught my eye.

I walked to the back wall, so focused on that one detail that I didn't hear the others calling me. It was a sword hanging on the wall; its sheath was elegantly carved into ivory vines and leaves, the metal of the handle almost shimmered. It was a beautiful sword; I imagined that the owner was a great swordsman.

"Its elfish metal, very light, but deadly sharp. You see how its glitters?" I side glanced at the girl that now stood beside me and nodded. "They infused it with magic, ensuring that it would strike true. It was a gift from my mother before she died." She turned away and stood in front of the others.

She face was now free of dirt and grim, as was her clothing, but even now she looked wary and tired. "I'm sure your all wondering why you're here, you probably thought you were coming to help us in this war but that is not so. The sight you saw on your way in was just a distraction, a pointless waste of human lives just so our enemies could invade our walls and take something precious."

"Great so were doing a rescue mission? I hate those!" Inuyasha groaned, only to have his mate elbow him in the side. The girl looked sharply at him but continued anyway.

"No. Nobody was captured. It was a precious item that my family has protected for centuries. I am Princess Hana" She bowed her head, but as she raised it I could see something in her eyes, something dark and sorrowful. "And your reason for being here is to accompany me on my mission. If you wish to. I am asking for your help, if you accept than I am eternally grateful, if you choose to decline than I shall bare no hard feelings."

She stood there waiting for our answers, looking to young to understand what happened in that valley, yet too grief ridden not to. There was a long pause before she decided to explain the situation further.

"Please follow me. A group of priestess' originally built this kingdom; they looked after a crystal that was said to have extraordinary powers, such as the ability to open portals to other world and alternate universes. They kept the crystal safe for many years, but they soon fell prey to bandits and thieves, so the high priestess took on a husband with an army, so that the crystal would be safe. Since then, guardianship of the jewel has been passed down through the many generations and now falls to me." She had led us to a small room that was down a long twisting hallway.

We now stood in front of a fountain with a golden ring hovering above the water, it was flat and roughly the size of an apple; she reached up and grabbed it, making the water in the fountain fall still. "So you're responsible for it and it got stolen? Good job!" Inuyasha held his thumbs up, I was about to reprimand him for being an idiot but the girl, Hana, beat me to it.

"It was hardly my fault; I was a little busy watching my family being slaughtered!" She got two steps from him and held out the ring. "Besides, we had assurance that it could not be taken be anyone outside our blood line." Holding out his hand, she dropped it onto his palm and almost immediately, the smell of burning flesh filled the small room. The golden ring clattered to the floor as my idiotic little brother nursed his wounded hand.

"No one outside of my bloodline could have taken it, not without the ring and that doesn't leave the castle unless in the possession of one of us." She placed the ring above the fountain once again and the water sprang to life. "When my ancestors put that spell on the ring, I guess they didn't think about someone in this family being corrupted." She sighed and watched the fountain for a moment before brushing past us and walking out.

11

22

As night fell, the group took Hana up on her offer of some r & r, Sesshoumaru, once again, could not sleep, so he decided to look around. As he walked outside he could smell the princess near by, he followed her scent, not really knowing why. She smelled of sweet vanilla and hints of mint, it was unlike any other scent he had ever come across and it was definitely not a normal human smell.

He finally caught sight of her; she was once again by the wall of oaks, standing in front of seven graves. He walked silently toward her, only slightly surprised when she turned his way. As the moonlight seeped through the leaves, it caught her face and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Her golden hair tumbled down her back in waves, stopping just past her hips, it caught the light and almost glowed, making him wonder how he didn't notice it before. Her skin was a warm honey color with freckles dotting her cheeks and nose, for lips full and pink, her eyes large and green.

She was beautiful, but as he looked into her eyes, he saw that she was worn, weary, and almost…broken.

"This is where my family lies, my father the king, the queen, and five of my brothers." She turned back to the graves as he stood next to her. "If you are the last, how could the crystal have been stolen?" he knew the answer he just wanted to hear it from her. "I'm not the last of my bloodline, my twin brother was not found in the wreckage, and my older sister has been in exile for the past six months."

"Who do you think took it?" They walked away from the graves, towards the castle. She stopped and looked at the moon, and with a long sigh, she whispered "My dear sister, Haruka."

22

Morning came and the gang was sitting down to breakfast when Hana came in, she looked angry yet tried to hide it as she sat down. A servant came in and whispered in her ear, only making her look angrier. She excused herself and walked back out of the room, not knowing that Sesshoumaru was following her. He couldn't help himself, there was something about her the made him curious.

"What do you want? I told you that I was done talking about this." She spoke to an older servant; she was plump and graying but had a motherly look to her. "I will not let you go. You are a princess, not a warrior, not a priestess. You are still a child! I will not let you do this." The older woman's face became red as she spoke.

"You have no say in the matter! It's my responsibility, and I am going to do what's right! I'm eighteen for Kami's sake; you are no longer my nanny!" He could see that Hana was close to tears but all he saw was anger. It didn't make sense.

"Your mother, your real mother, told me to look after you and that's what I'm trying to do but you keep pushing me away!" the woman tried to come closer to Hana but she backed up, her eyes were guarded, no longer readable.

"You leave her out of this. Look, Mai, I'm going, don't try to stop me and don't try to convince me otherwise. This is my mission, and I didn't bring those people here so they could do it for me. I brought them here so that I could make sure that the crystal is returned safely, so leave it be." She turned towards the door and Sesshoumaru stood still, he would not run and hide, that was below him.

"But your highness-"

"Leave it!" Hana snapped at her old nanny before she stormed out only to stop when she came face to face with Sesshoumaru. She looked up at him, almost a foot and half taller then her, and sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck, trying to rub out some of the tension. "I suppose you heard all that?" He nodded as she started walking down the hall; he easily kept up with her.

"She seems to think that I'm not prepared for this, even though I've been well trained, and I know how to handle myself." She stopped at the door to the dining hall and turned to him. "Why did you follow me?" Her eyes locked with his and he took notice of blue flecks in her green eyes.

"I was curious."

She smiled, it was small and lasted only a second, but it was true and it reached her eyes. "Curiosity killed the cat you know."

"Luckily I'm a dog."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Ahhh it's nice to have a fresh story, I just hope ya'll like it! Yes, this will be another Sesshoumaru/OC even though I Love the Sesshoumaru/Kagome pairings, I'm just not good at them. Well enjoy and please review!


	2. Traveling buddies

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my original characters.

11 Changes in POV

22 Time lapse

Chapter 2: Traveling buddies

That night they all sat in the gardens waiting for the princess to say something, but she just stood there looking up at the sky. "So when are we gonna go find this crystal thing?" Inuyasha was a far from patient person and he could never stay in one place for very long.

"I will leave at dawn; once again if you would like to help then be ready at first light, if not then you can stay the night and make your way back home in the morning." She looked around, looking for answers as she had the day before, finding none as of yet. Sesshoumaru who leaned against a tree nearest to her, watched her, someone so young should have the twinkle of innocence and hope in her eyes, all he saw was determination.

Inuyasha and Kagome were whispering to each other and to Sango and Miroku, after a moment they finally looked at Hana and stood. "We will be ready at dawn, but I have one question. Where are we going?" Kagome couldn't stand not knowing. "We will be traveling east, towards the kingdom we are currently waging war with. It will be dangerous and you will be risking your lives-"

"Just so your royal butt doesn't have to, right?" Inuyasha smirked and waited for Hana to agree, but didn't expect what came, her eyes suddenly got darker. "Look here you ignorant ass, I've been risking my life just so you could live peacefully and become the 'great' warrior that you supposedly are; while you were sitting on your ass ignoring your etiquette lessons, my family has been saving this land from being sucked into a hell dimension!" As the words left her, her eyes got wide and she covered her mouth, obviously giving to much information.

She looked around with wide eyes at the confused faces, knowing that questions would soon be flying; she brushed past everyone and exited the garden. Sesshoumaru watched as she left, silently vowing that he would get her alone and ask what exactly that crystal does.

"So…was that a yes?" Inuyasha looked more confused than normal; sometimes Sesshoumaru wondered if he even had a brain at all. "Oh, Yasha, you poor stupid hanyou. Come on lets go to bed." Kagome laughed as she dragged her mate out of the gardens.

"Sesshoumaru, do you think it's wise to trust her? To go on this mission?" Miroku turned to him, holding onto Sango's hand, suddenly not sure of their choice to follow the princess. Sesshoumaru looked at his comrade, seeing the doubt in his violet eyes; he pushed off the tree and looked up at the crescent moon that hung in the sky before answering.

"I think it would be stupid not to."

He turned and exited the gardens, leaving the hoshi with his thoughts and his soon to be bride.

…

Sesshoumaru had been pacing the halls for some time now, not really knowing why sleep was avoiding him, it didn't matter really, youkai's didn't need sleep as often as humans did. He thought of what this mission might mean, to him, to the world, to the princess. He would protect her as long as she was on their side, but the second he thought she might be working against them, he would be cautious.

Her outburst earlier was the first sign of life he had seen; there was a fire in her eyes, behind all of the distress and determination. As she yelled at his little brother it was like she suddenly came to life, she didn't look as tired and worn down, she didn't look so fragile and child like. But when she realized what she had said he saw the fire dim and she looked broken once more.

He was still pondering everything when he caught her scent, it was mixed with the smell of musty paper, so he decided now was a good time to ask his questions. He followed her scent down a hall to his right and soon heard her voice it was soft and berating.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! What a great way to get them to trust you and protect you. Kami, I'm such an idiot. Why did I yell at him? What is wrong with me?" He entered the library to the sight of the princess banging her head against a wall. The thudding stopped and she leaned her head against the wooden bookcase, closing her eyes and taking deep breathes.

"Is that fun?"

Her head shot up and her cheeks burned red, she quickly turned away trying to hide her blush. "Um, no, I was just, um, trying to knock some sense into myself I guess. I'm sorry about yelling at Inuyasha, it was uncalled for." She turned back to him, her cheeks no longer red but more of a soft pink, making her freckles more noticeable.

"It was completely called for, but I don't agree with you." He took a long stride toward her, looking at all of the books, there volumes that looked older then him, some were on the shelves, some were stacked on the floor next to a long futon. "Agree with me on what?" She faced him fully now, and he vaguely noticed that she was in her nightclothes, a thin black silk nightgown that hugged her every curve.

"I don't agree with you going on this mission. As you said, it is dangerous and we will be risking our lives, and that is no place for a naive princess. You're just looking for adventure." His tone indicated that what he said was final and that she would not be going, anyone else would accept it and move on.

However, she was not anyone else.

"Excuse me? What makes you think that you have authority here?" Her stance became defiant and stubborn, her bare feet planted shoulder length apart, and her arms crossed just under the swell of her bosom. He would never say this to her or to anyone else but she was beautiful and it excited him that she was challenging him. He shook his head of those thoughts, she was human and she was defying him, he would not stand for it.

"I have authority because you are just a lowly human princess of a tiny kingdom that has torn itself apart. You will not disrespect me again." He looked down his nose at her enjoying the look of fury on her face she would not be so insolent from now on and he would make sure of it.

She walked up to him and raised her hand, quickly bringing it across his face, the harsh sound of skin hitting skin resounded in the room. "I will, as long as you still have a tree shoved so far up your ass you can't even swallow without tasting bark! You know nothing of this kingdom, MY mission, or me for that matter! So do not think you can waltz around here acting like you own the damn place!"

Suddenly her head hit the wall, making her see spots, as his hand squeezed her throat, cutting off her oxygen. She clawed at his hand at first but knew it was useless; she just hung there glaring at him and slowly losing consciousness. "Once again you will not be so bold as to disrespect me, your superior." He let her fall in heap on the fall, coughing and gasping, trying desperately to return air to her lungs.

As she composed herself, she stood, holding the wall for support, and gave him a look of hatred, a look that could kill if he were a lesser demon. "You have no power here, no matter who your father might be, or what you are, or who you threaten. This is me duty, as the jewel's guardian, and nothing you do or say will keep me from going to find it." Her eyes burned with that same fire as before, making the green of her eyes darken and smolder, it surprised him, the intensity of her gaze.

She pushed past him and left the library, leaving Sesshoumaru to his thoughts, as she walked hot tears of anger rolled down her face. It always happened when she was angry, she couldn't help it, it was one of her flaws. She spilled into her bedroom and leaned against the door, trying to stop the flow of salty streams, having no success she slid down to the floor and let sobs of frustration and sadness shake her body.

22

As light began to seep into the great hall, the gang gathered with the shuffling of tired feet and yawns, Kagome stretched and yawned loudly as Hana entered the hall. Everyone but Sesshoumaru looked ready to go back to bed; Hana raised her eyebrow at them and shook her head. "I would expect you to be use to early rising, maybe I expected a little too much." She smirked as Inuyasha and Miroku perked up.

Sesshoumaru glanced at her as Kagome spotted the dark bruises that had formed on Hana's neck overnight. "What happened to you throat?" Green eyes locked onto gold and narrowed in loathing. "Nothing." Her voice was slightly hoarse; Sesshoumaru could tell she had been crying he could smell the salt on her.

The others watched the silent interaction; quickly catching on that it was a battle they did not want to get involved. Hana broke the gaze and led them out to the stables, where three horses stood, saddled and ready to ride. The largest was a spotted stallion; Miroku chose this one as his steed, Sango chose the one next to him, a dark brown mare, long and lean like herself. Kagome hoisted herself up onto the third, a quarter horse its coat was gray and its mane black.

"So we don't get horses?" Inuyasha threw his hands up and walked over to his mate. Hana exited the stables holding the reigns of a pure white Arabian horse, its eyes were wide and dark blue, and she pulled herself up onto the mare and looked at Sesshoumaru. "I didn't think you would need one, youkai are supposed to be superior." She glared at him before turning and allowing the horse to trot up to the road.

They road until they hit the main path, leading them away from the castle and on the way to the eastern border. As the humans sat atop their horses, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru followed on foot. As they neared the first village, the princess fell back to the rear, letting go of the reigns she rubbed her hands together and whispered something. She ran her hands through her hair, turning it black with her touch, then she wiped her hands over her face, her eyes became brown and her freckles disappeared.

She took hold of the reigns again and trotted up next to Kagome, who had been watching the change. "Why did you do that? How did you do that?" She took in the new appearance and found that she still looked like herself, just different coloring. "No one can know that I have left the castle, if anyone was to find out then my kingdom would be over run. It was just a simple glamour, nothing more, I don't have much magical abilities. Not compared to my siblings." Her now brown eyes stayed forward, not wanting to show Kagome her insecurities.

They continued at a steady pace until nightfall, they decided to make camp and continue in the morning. As they set up camp, Inuyasha kept grumbling about weak humans and their need to stop every five minutes. Kagome finished rolling out the pallets and setting up a fire as her mate sat at the base of a tree, sulking.

"I hope you realized that your referring to me when you say that." She looked at him over her shoulder with one eyebrow raised. Inuyasha just "keh" and leapt into the branches of the tree. Kagome shook her head, gathered a couple washcloths, and went to Sango. "Inuyasha said earlier that there's a river not to far from here, I'm gonna go wash up do you want to come with?" Sango nodded and gave the hoshi a glare, warning him to stay away.

Sango stopped just before they left the clearing looked at Hana, who was digging through her saddlebag for something. "Would you like to join us, Princess?" Hana looked surprised that she asked. "That would be great just uh, give me a minute." She went back to digging through her bag, looking for something that didn't seem to be there. Finally, she gave up and followed the girls to the river.

As Kagome and Sango walked arm in arm, giggling about something, Hana trailed behind lost in thought. "What really happened to your neck, Princess?" pulled out of her reverie Hana looked up to see Sango and Kagome standing by the river, looking at her expectantly.

"You don't have to call me princess, you know." She smiled hoping that they would drop it, but they just stood there still waiting on an answer. "Sesshoumaru and I had a bit of a disagreement last night; it was nothing but him being an arrogant jerk." Hana waved her hand, dismissing it, and started to take off her riding dress; it only had a couple layers and was light and flowing. Thick straps that crossed between her shoulder blades and the top of it hugged her form down to her hips where it flared out.

"That's not nothing! Hana, he could have killed you!" Kagome was surprised that she was dismissing it so easily, Sesshoumaru was her mate's half brother but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. "I'm not afraid of that pompous ass, and I could care less about what he can and can't do. He was acting as if he had control over me and that's just not true, and he needs to get over it." Sango and Kagome looked at the princess with wide eyes, both starting to fear for her life and hoping that Sesshoumaru never heard her say that. They all waded in the water for a few minutes before getting out, getting dressed, and heading back to camp.

As they sat around the fire, Inuyasha and the others reminisced over some past mission while Hana sat on the other side, braiding her wet hair and secretly watching Sesshoumaru, who sat by a tree not far from her. "So do you still think I should have stayed at the castle like a good little princess?" Tying the end of her braid with a string that had been tied around her wrist, she looked at him for and answer.

"Without a doubt." He didn't even open his eyes, he just sat there, motionless, as if he hadn't spoken at all. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, lying down, she stared up at the sky once again getting lost in her thoughts.

She thought about where her brother might be, what her sister's reason for taking the crystal was. Throughout her life, she never felt like she belonged in that family, she didn't understand why until she found out that the queen was not her mother. She found out on her sixteenth birthday that her twin brother was not her twin; they had different mothers but they were born on the same night. After that, she understood why she always felt out of place, different and unwanted by the queen.

She didn't know who her mother was, only the stories that Mai had told her. She had given Hana the sword that now lay at her side, telling her that her mother would have wanted her to have it. Sometimes she would lose sleep thinking about who her mother was and if she was still alive. Hana shook her head, rolled onto her side, and closed her eyes, wanting to at least try to get some sleep.

11

I watched as her eyes glazed over in thought and she laid there for an hour, just staring up at the sky. She finally shook her head and rolled over, her eyes closed and not long after her breathing evened out. Everyone else was asleep as well so there would be no one to see me kneel over her and study her features. I was still trying to understand what made me so curious, she was utterly boring, except for her scent, and her attitude, and her eyes.

My eyes traveled over her face, taking in her deep-set eyes that slanted upward slightly, as well as her high cheekbones and her straight nose, her heart shaped face looked almost peaceful in the dying fire light. I ran a claw over her bruised throat, careful not to cut her, up to her ear; I brushed her hair back behind it and noticed something. The shell of her ear was pointed, not enough so that you could tell by a glance, but enough to notice that it was not quite a human feature. That brought up a completely new set of questions that I would never ask because she was a rude naive brat, and I would ignore my curiosity from now on, I stood and went back by the tree I sat at before and closed my eyes.

Once again sleep was ignored me.

11

22

Morning came and one by one, they started to rise, Kagome passed around a loaf of bread but didn't bother rekindling the fire to cook anything. Soon they were packing up and getting ready to leave when a sudden rustling resounded in the clearing. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru listened carefully, sniffing for anything dangerous, only to find the source was a small white cat. It strolled out of the brush and rubbed against Hana's leg, mewing softly and looking up at her.

A small smile appeared on Hana's face, and soon spread into a wide grin as she swooped down to pick the kitten up and cuddle it in her arms. Sesshoumaru took a few steps toward her intent on getting rid of the disgusting feline, when the cat suddenly tensed and began hissing at him, a deep growl started in his chest and reverberated upwards, loudly.

Hana looked at him and chuckled, petting the cat and giving it praise. "You gonna start barking at her now?" she raised an eyebrow and lifted the cat towards him, the animal clawed at the air in front of him until he grabbed the skin on its neck and threw it across the clearing. Hana gasped and watched as the cat got up and shook itself off then quickly left, her eyes turned to Sesshoumaru.

"How could you?! That was cruel!" She smacked his arm and ignored the gasps of horror from Kagome and Sango. "I wanted to be clear that we are not taking on a pet in this journey. Be glad I am in a forgiving mood, little girl." He had stepped close to her, matching her glare, and growled out those last words to make himself clear.

Her eyes narrowed and darkened with anger, she didn't want to back down but knew that they had to get moving. She let out a growl of her own and walked away, mumbling something about wasting daylight. They were soon back on the road, going slightly faster than yesterday, Hana having taken the lead.

…

Hazel eyes watched the group wearily, they had stopped for nightfall and he had considered taking her during the night but he knew that one of the youkai would notice, so he waited, biding his time until he could get her alone.

And he would get her alone somehow.

…

They rode until the road was no longer visible; they soon built a fire in a secluded meadow not far from the road. Inuyasha went to hunt down some food while Kagome rolled out the pallets and chatted with Sango and Miroku as Hana and Sesshoumaru glared at each other from across the fire.

"So do you know what's going on between those two? Because there's a lot of tension going on there." Miroku whispered to his companions, hoping the youkai was too distracted to hear him. "Well you saw those bruises on her neck right? He did that, apparently they had an argument the night before we left and he choked her. She was telling me that he was being a pompous ass and that she wasn't afraid of him." Miroku looked at Kagome in shock then back at Hana. "She's either more powerful then we know or she has a death wish."

All three shook their heads and began preparing the meal as Inuyasha dragged a large hare into the clearing, already skinned and washed. Everyone sat around the fire, enjoying a good meal and good company, everyone besides Sesshoumaru; he just sat at the edge of the meadow, back against a tree with his eyes closed. He was meditating, trying to calm his tense muscles, he had been doing that a lot lately, and he knew exactly why. He cracked his eyes open and glared at the back of the princess that was quickly becoming the bane of his existence.

As everyone settled in for the night, Sesshoumaru had yet to move an inch, he was well aware of what was going on around him but he was busy trying to find some peace. As the fire died everyone had fallen asleep, he opened his eyes and scanned the sleeping bodies in the camp. Kagome and Inuyasha were cuddled up near Hana while Sango and Miroku spooned near him; he looked at Hana and saw that she was curled into a tight little ball, trying to keep warm since the fire had gone down.

He sighed and placed more wood onto the fire, bringing back to life a little so the girl wouldn't freeze. He observed how tightly she clung to her sword as she slept, as if she was use to doing it. He shook his head and walked away, not wanting to stay and start noticing other quirks that the princess had.

He didn't have to walk far until he came across an isolated hot springs; he smirked and began to shrug off his armor.

…

Hana awoke with a start, not really knowing what woke her, but when she felt awake, she heard movement not far away. She grabbed her sword and started towards the noises, it was the sound of something clattering to the ground. She took careful steps as she walked, being as silent as possible, until she saw moonlight hitting water. She walked towards it, and stepped out of the tree line, and into the clearing of a hot springs, she looked around until she saw the source of the noise.

There, in the middle of the spring was Sesshoumaru in all his naked glory, his pale alabaster skin stretched over taut muscles, and his tail now lazily floated behind him. She gasped at his beauty and perfection, making him turn towards her and suddenly her eyes travel the expanse of his chest, roaming over his perfect abdomen and down towards his large-

"Oh my god!" she covered her mouth, turn on her heel and ran back to camp, trying to get images of his…manliness, out of her head. As she arrived back, she sat on her pallet and covered her face with her hands, feeling her cheeks burn hotter than ever before. "Oh my god!" she whispered to herself, not quite believing what she just saw, but as she started to think about it, she wondered how that could possibly fit into a woman's-

"Did I give you a nice show? Or do you even know what exactly you just saw?" his voice whispered close to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine and made her belly feel strange. She looked at him over her fingertips and couldn't help but blush harder. She groaned and lay down, facing away from him. "Go away."

As he stood and moved over to his tree, he chuckled softly and taunted her once more. "I never pegged you for a pervert." He listened to her groan and curl into a tight ball once more to hide her embarrassment; he chuckled once more and closed his eyes.

Maybe she wasn't so bad to have around.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Whew! I worked on this all day and my brain is exhausted!

Brandon Bear: Baby! Come here, I gotta tell you a secret!

Belle de Luna: *blushes* not now! I'm busy!

Brandon Bear: Well come here so I can be busy too!

Belle de Luna: SHHH! Well anyway this is the second chapter of my newest story, hope you like it!!


	3. Trust Issues

A/N: I just realized that there are a few characters missing, like Rin and Shippo and Kirara, but they will appear. Give it time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my original characters.

11 Changes in POV

22 Time lapse

[Flashbacks]

Chapter 3: Trust Issues

The next morning was excruciating for Hana, for no matter how well she tried to hide it, she couldn't stop herself from picturing him naked, thigh high in steaming water. As they packed up camp, Sesshoumaru brushed by her more times than necessary, making her flush a bright red each time. It seemed as if her cheeks were in a permanent blush today for two reasons, not only did she see him, in the nude, but she also had a dream about him. A dream that she would never share with anyone. Ever.

Hana took the lead and Kagome and Sango fell in beside her, giving each other a meaningful look when they saw how distracted she was. Kagome looked over her shoulder at the men, who had fallen back slightly, and then looking back at the princess, she remembered something.

"So did you have good dreams last night, Hana?" Such simple words brought forth a very strange reaction from the young princess. She looked harshly at the older girl and opened her mouth to say something but wound up stuttering out an 'I don't remember'.

"Why do you ask?" Hana looked over her shoulder suspiciously and caught a glimpse of a smug smirk on the Inu youkai's face, turning quickly back to the road; she gave Kagome a side-glance of curiosity.

"No reason, just curious, I woke up this morning and you were smiling in your sleep. Were you dreaming of your family? Because after I lost my father, I often dreamt of having him back." Hana watched her; the priestess' eyes were slightly downcast but still looking at Hana.

"No… I didn't dream of them because I know they are gone, I watched them fall, I have no hopes that they will come back." Hana held her head high and set her eyes for the road ahead, not wanting to look back at any of them; she didn't want them to see that she held no hope for anything. She didn't even expect herself to come back from this but she would finish her mission.

Then she was done.

…

Sesshoumaru had been listening, at first just for amusement but then he heard that dull lifelessness in her voice and suddenly he knew why she fought so hard against the people telling her to stay safe within her castle walls; it was her mission.

A suicide mission.

Suddenly anger swept through him, he couldn't believe she was leading them into danger just so she could get herself killed. He would discuss this with her later; he would not tolerate this kind of reckless behavior. He silently fumed at her adolescent simplicity, if she truly thought that they would let her do this, that he would let her do this, she was more naive than she thought.

22

They had yet to come across another person much less a village and the sky was starting to darken. Something about the woods on either side of them had the youkai on edge and the humans clutching their weapons. They could all sense that something dark lurks in the shadows and as they decided to set camp close to the road, they agreed that no one would go anywhere alone, especially the women.

"Why especially the women? Are we not capable of protecting not only ourselves but others as well?" Kagome stood defiant as always with her hands on her hips and her feet planted firmly on the ground, Sango stood beside her in a similar position. "Darling, its not that your not capable, it's just that you're more fragile than us." Miroku smiled at his beloved Sango and was positive that she would smile and agree with him. Instead, she huffed and began arguing that she had saved his ass plenty of times.

The two couples began yelling and bickering, completely ignoring the other two people in the camp, who now stood watching the chaos with amusement. Sesshoumaru just shook his head, walked away, and started to collect firewood, having to stray from the campsite slightly to find dryer wood.

Upon returning he saw that they had yet to resolve their issue, but more importantly…

Hana was gone.

11

I looked at them and even as they fought, I envied them, they had passion, they had love, and they had a reason to fight. I had none of those, just one mission that I would not come back from. I knew how it looked, it looked like I was giving up or trying to play the martyr, but it was more than that. It was because I had nothing left, no family to go back to, no husband to comfort me, nothing but an empty castle that never truly felt like home. I had no more fight in me, I was tired and I wanted to rest; I didn't see that as giving up, I saw it as giving in.

I watched as Sesshoumaru left, my embarrassment had long since faded, and I thought about what he would say if he knew what was going through my head. He would probably just call me a weak child and tell me to grow up. That seemed to be the problem though, I had grown up far too early, and I was quite young when I learned of my responsibilities.

I was seven when I found out what the crystal could do and that it was my duty to protect it and keep it under control. I still didn't know why they appointed me as the guardian but I accepted it with honor. I spent most of my remaining childhood training in combat and in magic, I became a reasonable fighter but no one understood why I could only do some of the simpler spells. My siblings surpassed me in most fields except my brother Rokuro, who I believed to be my twin; I could always best him in a fight. Which didn't make the queen happy, for a woman to show more strength than a man was not a good quality for a wife.

But I did my duty well, the crystal remained undetected and in control, until the day I turned sixteen, it was just moments after I found out about my real mother.

[The castle shook and the sky turned black, I rushed to the chamber where the crystal was kept and upon arriving, I saw the crystal had changed from its normal transparent white to a deep blue. It began to shake, the ring that held it now lay on the floor, I watched as the air beneath the crystal slashed open, as if it were skin, and a large bloody hand with three large claws emerged from the tear.

I screamed at the sight but as I heard a bone-chilling growl, I realized that I had to stop it. I took a step forward, fearing for my life but knowing that I had to do this, I reached for the crystal, trying not to look at the creature coming out of the tear. As my hand came close to the jewel, I looked down and I would never forget what I saw there, it had been something that could only be something from some level of hell.

My hand was about to close over the crystal when the hell beast ran its claws against my stomach, I clutched the crystal and fell back as the beast was dragged back in and the tear closed. I held the crystal to my chest as I lay bleeding out onto the floor, watching the sky turn back to a bright clear blue.

My nanny and Rokuro had discovered me moments later, my wounds were treated and the crystal restored to its rightful place, but I now knew that I stood between that creature and my family.]

I ran a hand over my stomach, still remembering the pain as if it were fresh; the wounds left ugly scars that would forever remind me of that beast. I shook my head of unwanted memories and refocused on the two couples that had yet to stop bickering, I stood to break them up when suddenly I felt a pull.

"Hana…."

The voice was warm and inviting, almost familiar, and I had to follow it.

11

"Hana…."

The young princess slowly walked away from the camp and into the darkening forest, leaving behind her sword, she followed the pull. As she walked, it was as if she lost consciousness and her body was moving on its own, her mind wasn't aware of the movement, only the voice.

"Hana…."

As her body stopped in a clearing, her mind caught up and she couldn't remember how she had gotten there, but as she scanned the area, she saw that she wasn't alone.

…

Sesshoumaru and the others had caught up with her fast enough and silently followed behind; wanting to know what was going on. Sesshoumaru kept a close enough distance that he could protect her if need be, but kept far enough back so as not to be noticed. As they watched Hana look around they caught sight of a figure stepping into the clearing, she gasped as the moonlight lit the persons face.

It was a young man with dark eyes and brown hair, he was bloody and battle worn, but didn't seem to have any serious wounds. He walked towards Hana but stopped as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha stepped out first, followed by Miroku and the girls. He eyed the people behind the princess but he focused on her.

She had yet to notice anyone but the young man that stood before her; she didn't know if she was dreaming or dead, but there was no way he could be standing before her.

"How…How are you alive?" She stepped toward him and as her hand reached out to him, it shook. The man smiled and hesitantly took her hand, glancing at the growling youkai that stepped towards them. "I ran, I'm a coward but I'm alive." his smile broke as a tear slipped down his cheek. "Hana, I ran…I should have stayed and maybe…maybe they wouldn't be…" his voice broke and she suddenly pulled him into a fierce hug as he dissolved into sobs and tears.

"No matter what, they would still be dead. You couldn't have saved them and neither could I, so don't even think that Rokuro." The gang watched as the pair embraced for a few minutes until the boy finally pulled himself together. She smiled at him and wiped his tear stained face, ignoring her own.

"Hana." Sesshoumaru stepped forward, becoming quite sick of the tears and sniffling. She looked back at them and smiled slightly, she caught Sesshoumaru's eyes, and he could see a slight spark in her. "This is my brother, Rokuro."

"He's your brother? I thought your family was dead?" Inuyasha bluntly asked as they stepped toward the pair, earning a smack in the head from his dear mate. "Inuyasha, have we not discussed tact?" He looked blankly at Kagome and shrugged. "Tact is just not saying true stuff." Kagome shook her head and turned back to the young siblings.

"Not all of them, as I told Sesshoumaru, my brother Rokuro" She held Rokuro's hand "And our sister, Haruka, we are all that's left." She looked at the group and noticed their wary glances; they didn't trust him, and by that, she thought they were starting to question her loyalty as well. "My brother is a good man, you can trust him, he's loyal to our kingdom and our allies, such as Lord Inutaisho." Her brows furrowed in frustration as none of them spoke; they just eyed her and Rokuro.

Sesshoumaru let out a grunt and turned his back to them, the others followed heading for camp, and just before he was out of view, he motioned for them to follow. Hana smiled and ran to catch up with them, still holding onto her brother.

Maybe she would come back from this.

22

"So why did it take you this long to show yourself?" Miroku, who sat across the fire from Hana and her brother, was especially curious to know why the boy ran from battle but had no trouble hiding in the ominous woods around them. The boy seemed to tense for a moment before catching the monk's eyes.

"I wanted to see my sister, away from all of you, because I wasn't sure if she would forgive me for my cowardice. I know that must also look like the acts of a coward, but I didn't want a bunch of strangers to see…that." He turned his face away, shameful of the tears he shed earlier.

"It doesn't look like cowardice to me…" Inuyasha gave his brother a strange look "It looks more like betrayal." Sesshoumaru looked the boy directly in the eye, looking for signs of deceit. "How dare you accuse my brother of disloyalty?! You don't know him and you have no right!" Hana stood up and moved in front of her brother and, taking a defensive stance, glared Sesshoumaru down.

"Hana, its okay…" Rokuro stood and tried to reason with his petite sister, not wanting to incur the wrath of a youkai. "No! It's not okay!" Rokuro took her arm and led her a few steps away from the group, not really wanting them to hear but knowing that the two youkai would be listening.

"Listen Hana, I understand why he thinks that I betrayed you. He is very proud and would never run from a fight, much less a war and since I did just that and then hid from you, he sees that as betrayal. You shouldn't take him so literally, and you really shouldn't piss him off." He looked down at Hana and saw that she was glaring daggers at Sesshoumaru, who was leaning against a tree staring straight back at her.

"I'm not scared of him." Golden eyes narrowed as he pushed away from the tree he had been lounging against, and walked their way. Rokuro stepped back slightly as the tall youkai approached, Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist and lead her away from the camp. Rokuro was about to protest but a steely glare forced him back by the fire.

"He won't hurt her will he?" Hazel eyes slid over the other occupants of the camp only to see wary glances and downcast eyes.

…

"I don't trust him."

Sesshoumaru finally spoke as they stopped in a clearing five minutes from camp, he let go of her wrist and starred her down. "Wow, Really? I couldn't tell." She huffed out, crossing her arms under her bust she glowered at him. His hand wound around her neck, not choking her, but keeping a firm grip as he backed her into a tree and growled down at the young princess.

"You should know better than to undermine me." His hand tightened slightly causing her to cough but she continued to glare up at him, refusing to back down. "I'm not afraid of you." she ground out as his hand loosened and dropped back to his side.

"Only because you welcome death." Green eyes grew wide and the malice drained from her gaze only to have shame set in, she turned her head away, not wanting him to know that he was right. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do you think I haven't realized what your doing? That is why you fought so hard to go on this mission, because you didn't want to survive it. You put me and my people in danger just so you could get yourself killed." He grabbed her shoulders and made her face him; she looked up at him and couldn't hide the tears that ran down her face.

"I wanted to make sure that the crystal was in your hands before…I knew that you would be able to protect it better than I ever could." She looked small and broken, as she did that night by the oaks, he knew she didn't have anything to go back to but this was just idiotic.

"You're just giving up." Sesshoumaru shook his head and let go of her shoulders, he couldn't make himself understand why she was doing this, but as she hugged her arms around herself, he realized that he saw something in her that he could relate to. She was all but shunned by her family but was expected to deal with this great responsibility, all the while trying to understand why she was unwanted. It was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

"I'm tired, Sesshoumaru. I just want to rest." Her eyes pleaded with him, wanting him to understand, to comfort her, to hold her, but that was not his job. No matter how much he wanted it to be.

"You can sleep when we're done, but I will not allow you to die, I will protect you with my life." He turned his back and took two steps before a small voice stopped him.

"Why?"

He looked at her and something inside of him felt a tug, wanting to go over to her and wrap her up in his arms, wanting to take her away from the pain and sorrow. But he knew better than that. He would not give in.

"Because my father would kill me if I didn't." Which wasn't a complete lie.

…

The early morning light seeped through the tree as Sesshoumaru rose from his resting place; he turned his head toward the east, sensing that something was coming. He scanned the camp, seeing that Inuyasha and Kagome had sensed it as well, he motioned for Kagome to wake the others.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stood side by side, as the other began to rise and sense the danger, Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows, taking position towards the far left side of camp to get a good angle. Sango and Miroku fell in line behind the brothers, making sure that Hana was behind them, well protected by her brother.

"Ready yourselves, its getting close." Everyone tensed as Sesshoumaru spoke, drawing his sword Tokijin as Inuyasha drew Tessaiga. Hana drew hers as well, the shining metal hummed with anticipation, she knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow her to die, but after last night, she did think she was quite ready to stop fighting.

Kagome strung an arrow through her bow and pulled back, ready to purify anything that came threw those trees.

All of the sudden a fog blew through the camp, flowing around the group, making it difficult to see, they kept their positions, waiting for an attack. As the fog filtered out of the camp a rustling could be heard, it was quiet, almost as if a wind blew leaves across the ground, but then it stopped. The silence that fell over the encampment didn't last long.

Trees crashed around them as a black female bear youkai charged towards them, its claws ready, and its eyes red. It threw Inuyasha into a tree as Sesshoumaru leapt out of the way; he waited for Kagome to shoot her arrow before he sent a combining attack with Tokijin. The bear fell to the ground before disintegrating, only to reveal another bear youkai behind it. This one was larger and male, obviously the mate of the other one. It roared and charged at them.

Inuyasha was up and already throwing attacks at it while Kagome strung up another arrow, but before she could aim, something grabbed her ankle and sent her to the ground, knocking her unconscious. Sango threw Hiraikotsu and ran over to her life long friend, seeing that she was okay she motioned for Miroku to help protect the helpless miko. Catching her boomerang, she stayed to the left, trying to keep her friend from harm.

As Sesshoumaru closed in on the larger bear youkai, Hana saw two younger bears trying to ambush him; Inuyasha had only noticed one and was currently battling with it. The second was about to slash at the youkai's back as he dispatched of the larger youkai, Hana quickly ran to it and pierced its side with her blade.

As it let out a growl Sesshoumaru turned toward the sound, as did everyone else, Inuyasha having just killed one of the cubs. It slashed at her, narrowly missing her stomach, then pounced onto her, and she rolled over, flipping the beast off her before she thrust her sword into its heart.

It fell to the ground as she stood, all four youkai were dead, and the group was relatively unharmed. Inuyasha rushed to his mate, her eyes opened as he took her into arms and checked her over for any serious wounds. Hana looked around the campsite, seeing that everyone was accounted for except for Rokuro. Sesshoumaru had been standing over by Inuyasha and the others, none of them had yet to notice her brother's absence.

"Rokuro?" She began to panic, she only just found him again, and she didn't want to loose him so quickly. Sesshoumaru looked around and noticed that he was in fact, missing. "Do not tell me that he ran off again." She ignored the insult as she listened for him. She closed her eyes and opened her ears, praying that he would call out, that he would give some indication of where he was.

Sesshoumaru was about to berate her for being so foolish until he heard the soft crying of a name.

"Hana!"

Her eyes flew open as she took off towards the sound, she flew through the woods, not caring about the branches that scrapped at her bare arms and face, only focused on getting to him. She wouldn't let any harm come to him, even thought they were the same age, it had always been like this, she had always been there to protect him. That wasn't about to stop now.

Her heart pounded in her chest as her feet carried her farther and farther away from the camp, she could hear his voice getting louder and louder. She was almost there, she could feel it, she pushed herself harder as her lungs burned and her muscles tightened. One last cry of her name told her that he was just past the wall of trees to her right.

As she broke through, she found herself standing at the edge of a cliff, about to go over when an arm wrapped around her waist dragging her back into the firm chest of Sesshoumaru. She tried to catch her breath as she looked around for her brother.

"He's not here, Hana." The only thing she could see was the gorge before her and the trees behind her; Rokuro was nowhere in sight. She shook her head as she felt her resolve breaking once more, she turned in his grip, and let sobs of defeat rake over her, letting her arms wind around him.

Sesshoumaru stood there for a long minute until he wrapped his other arm around her and started to rub circles into her back, trying to sooth her. He knew that she would trust her brother until the end but something was wasn't right.

He leaned down and lifted her knees, carrying her bridal style back to camp as she lay there letting her tears flow freely. He walked slowly back, occasionally looking down at her, just before they arrived she fell asleep. As he entered the camp, he saw the very reason she was crying, standing by Miroku, chatting with him. Inuyasha walked over to him, Sesshoumaru silently handed the now sleeping princess to his brother.

Before any of them could ask, Rokuro was pinned to a tree with Sesshoumaru's hand around his neck. "What just happened?" He allowed the boy enough oxygen to speak. "I don't know what your talking about." He pulled the boy forward and slammed him back into the tree, making spots appear before his eyes.

"Your sister almost fell over a cliff going after you, she heard you calling out to her, now I will ask you once more. What just happened?" Sesshoumaru let out a deep growl; he was losing his patience with the boy. Miroku was about to step in but Inuyasha shook his head; he laid the girl down beside his mate who was fully conscious with only a slight bump on the head.

"Really, I don't know, I was knocked out right after that second bear demon appeared, and when I woke up you two were gone. It wouldn't be the first time she's heard things that weren't there." Golden eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared; looking for signs of deception, when he was sure that the boy had told him the truth, he released him and walked over to Hana.

He sat down by a tree and pulled her into his lap, much to the surprise of the rest of the group. "What do you mean it wouldn't be the first time? She's had hallucinations before?" They all began to sit in a circle, relaxing and resting from the fight. Rokuro watched his sister curl up into a ball in the youkai's lap, she had taken her long black hair out of its braid the night before, and it fell into her face and down her back in raven waves. Even with her disguise, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, he knew that she was his sister but he hoped that one day he would find a woman just like her.

"It wasn't a hallucination, I heard it too." Sesshoumaru glared at the boy who seemed to be leering at the bundle in his lap, he let out a protective growl and put an arm around her, allowing his sleeve to hide her from her brother's prying eyes.

"Then I Really don't know what happened. Usually it's just her that hears it and it's almost always the same person." Rokuro stared into space over Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Who is it?" Miroku watched as the boy's glazed eyes came back into focus and flickered down at his sister.

"Jun, the prince from the east, her fiancé." Kagome and Sango gasped in unison and looked at the sleeping princess with sympathy. "My sister wasn't always like this; she wasn't always so…damaged. She use to be happy and lighthearted, even with the burdens she had to bare, she always had a smile on her face and a kind word on her tongue. Even when she was engaged to a man she didn't know, she was optimistic about it and was willing to marry to please our father.

That all changed on the wedding day. Our sister, Haruka, confessed that she and Jun were having an affair and that he was only marrying Hana to get to the crystal. He was beheading that same day, in front of Hana, and Haruka was banished. After that we all saw a change in her, she became resilient in her training, she barely slept, she barely ate, it was as if something inside of her just shut down. I know that she loved Jun, and she loved her sister, but I think losing them both in one day was too much for her." Rokuro lifted his hand, as if to reach out to her but pulled back when he remembered Sesshoumaru.

"I don't know how she survived that battle, losing mother and father, our brothers. She is truly amazing." Inuyasha gave his older brother a meaningful look, letting Sesshoumaru know that he wasn't the only one who noticed the boy's unusual affection for his sister.

Sesshoumaru was right, there was definitely something strange going on.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O0o0o0o0o0o0o0O

A/N: Sorry it took so long, I was really sick for like a week and a half, it really sucked. But I'm better now. By the way the monster in her flashback kind of looks like that creature from Hellboy, the hell hound thing that kept respawning. Also there is a quote hidden in here that some Buffy fans may recognize, it doesn't belong to me but here's a hint, its something Inuyasha says. I hope you like this chapter and Please Review and tell me what you think 

Brandon Bear: Baby! Come to bed! It's three in the morning!

Belle de Luna: I guess I woke the bear, now I gotta make him tired again. ;) tootles, hope you like it.


End file.
